Ever work or play sports with someone who took accomplishments that rightfully belonged to others? If you took a vote on any sports team, that person would win least popular teammate. Nice to see we have one for our president.
Nobody does it better. Old Barry opposes an issue. Fights it tooth and nail. Forces compromises that neither party wants to concede. When the dust settles, old Barry holds a press conference, or gives a speech, and says, look what I did.
Too busy in 2010, when he had a democratic house majority, Barry just didn’t get around to putting a budget together. In corporate America that would get any CEO fired. There is no acceptable excuse for that. But, in political America, the CEO can worry about Barry Bonds, NCAA picks, or trying to raise taxes, and we will excuse having no budget until April of the next year. By the way, Mr. President, when you don’t get those taxes raised, make sure you take full credit for cutting taxes.
Finally, as the government is about to “shut down”, meaning we get threatened with not paying the troops, closing down national parks, and no social security checks, finally the CEO, Barry, begins to do some real work on the budget. No, Republicans, you can’t cut $61 billion, no you can’t eliminate planned parenthood, you can only cut a little more than 1% or $39 billion.
And, here’s the deal. I’ll take all the credit for the cuts. You Republicans just stand down, and I’ll make another sterling teleprompter speech taking full credit for cutting the expenses this year.
Now, we have the debt ceiling.
Will the Republicans fold on the debt ceiling like they did on the budget? Sure, why not? Either way, they get hurt. If they refuse to raise the debt ceiling, Obama will take credit for fiscal responsibility, if they raise it, Obama will take credit for protecting the little guy, main street, and his union friends. When you play the game from the stands, it’s easier to always be right, be the star, and be the center of attention. Only those on the field get muddy, bloody, and ripped.
Rest assured, this president will always be in the stands. He won’t even pick sides until the final whistle is blown. Then, and only then, will he stride on the field and take credit for the win.
But, Mr. Obama, you own the deficit and the spending mess we are in today. You can’t hide under the bleachers on these issues. If the Republicans refuse to raise the debt limit and shove a big spending reduction requirement down your throat, you will play hell taking a bow for that. Not while your big plan goes back to raising the taxes you took credit for lowering.
In most of our experiences the glory hogs and grand standers are eventually exposed. The crowd catches on. Who is jumping on the pile to get credit for someone else’s tackle? You Mr. President are jumping on too many piles and trying to take credit for too many tackles you never made.
If the same Republicans who botched the budget do the job right on the deficit limit, they will tie the problem very closely to you. Right where it belongs. If you stay in the stands as is your custom, it will be noticed. You see most American families have budgets and they understand that you need to pay your bills or your power goes off. Something you never learned.
Be very careful about trying to take too much credit. Your country sees what you do and they are watching and most don’t care for that practice.
